Kazakhstan's bimetallic zodiac series pairs tantalum — an exceptionally hard, corrosion-resistant refractory metal more commonly found in capacitors and surgical implants than in coinage — with a silver ring. The pairing is technically demanding; tantalum's hardness makes die wear a genuine production concern, and few mints worldwide have the tooling to strike it cleanly at volume.
The National Bank issued twelve coins across the zodiac series, each timed to its corresponding year in the cycle. Sagittarius is among the harder pieces to find in pristine condition due to galvanic interaction at the bimetallic join.
Kazakhstan's bimetallic zodiac series pairs tantalum — an exceptionally hard, corrosion-resistant refractory metal more commonly found in capacitors and surgical implants than in coinage — with a silver ring. The pairing is technically demanding; tantalum's hardness makes die wear a genuine production concern, and few mints worldwide have the tooling to strike it cleanly at volume.
The National Bank issued twelve coins across the zodiac series, each timed to its corresponding year in the cycle. Sagittarius is among the harder pieces to find in pristine condition due to galvanic interaction at the bimetallic join.